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I suppose many folks have a tin of old coins in the house. I remember this coin from our tin when I was a kid. I rediscovered our tin when my mother was moving home recently.

There were several coronation commemorative coins including that of Edward VII. This one is different. On one side it says “In defence of the rights and honour of Scotland”, with the Royal Lion Rampant flag.

On the other it says “Edward I of Britain & the British Empire, falsely styled Edward VII. Our army, navy, parliament and flag all are British not English”.

I’ve had a look on the net for some information but have so far drawn a blank. This is obviously not the work of Scottish nationalists but seems rather to have been struck as a protest to a time when the postal address of Scotland became North Britain. It’s a reminder that the union was meant to be one of equal partnership and how it didn’t actually work out like that.

We’re in the age of the policy, the charter and the mission statement. One can hardly buy a product or service these days without being bombarded by meaningless drivel on an individual, company or government body’s ethical principles.

Most of it is bollocks.

Click Here for some of the endless knots the BBC ties itself up in, in the pursuit of “impartiality” Click Here for more. The Beeb says it is simply maintaining impartiality by not allowing an appeal for humanitarian aid for Gaza to be broadcast. And yet by their refusal, have they not just declared their support for the Israeli government who claim there is no humanitarian crisis?

One can impartially judge whether there is a humanitarian crisis here:

The Disasters Emergency Committee are the organisation behind the Gaza Humanitarian Appeal. They have been around since 1963 and encompass 13 aid agencies including the British Red Cross, Christian Aid, Save the Children, Oxfam and Help the Aged. They too of course have a mission statement and critera for intervention. The three principles which govern their intervention are interesting.

1. The disaster must be on such a scale and of such urgency as to call for swift international humanitarian assistance.
2. The DEC agencies, or some of them, must be in a position to provide effective and swift humanitarian assistance at a scale to justify a national appeal.
3. There must be sufficient public awareness of, and sympathy for, the humanitarian situation so as to give reasonable grounds for concluding that a public appeal will be successful.

All I would suggest much more concise and helpful than the hand wringing rubbish currently emanating from the BBC. I will be donating to the DEC today and their address is on the clip below should you wish to help. (NB other broadcasters are mentioned on the clip. They have all, even Sky*, since agreed to broadcast the appeal)

*edit, actually Sky have refused to broadcast it after all. File them with BBC.